Surprise
by Baby Cougar
Summary: Shino and the rest of Team 8 are sent on a "mission." Hinata and Kiba are in on it, but Shino is clueless. How will he handle a surprise party? Happy Birthday, Shino!
1. Chapter 1

Surprise!

When Hinata woke up that morning, she was a woman on a mission. No, not a ninja mission, but a personal mission. It was Aburame Shino's birthday, and she wanted to make sure it was his best. Everyone was in on the plan, but there was one last thing she had to do.

Getting dressed, so stepped out into the chilly morning air and briskly made her way to the Hokage's office. After gaining admittance, she put on her most pathetic look, irresistible.

"L-Lady Hokage, I have a f-favor to ask…"

-

Kiba looked out his window. There was a light dusting of snow. Quickly, he got dressed, hopping on Akamaru and going out the door. He set about his task of meeting everybody on the list, making sure they knew where to go.

-

Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ino were already off, jumping through the trees. They sooner everybody got there, the easier this will be to pull off.

-

Tsunade studied the girl carefully, and noted the determination in her eyes. It was a great idea.

"Effective immediately."

-

_And so… It begins._

_-----------------------_

Shino woke up early, as usual, and got ready to face the day. He glanced at the calendar, January 23rd. Sighing, he slipped on his jacket and walked into the kitchen, gathering supplies to make beakfast.

"Good morning, Dad."

"Good morning, Shino. Happy birthday."

Shino smiled ever so slightly, something had his dad in a good mood, and he wasn't going to mess with it.

"Thank you."

Fixing breakfast, they both ate in silence. A knock was heard at the door. He got up and answered, finding Kiba and Hinata standing there.

"Shino, we have a mission. A delivery."

Immediately, Shino went from casual to professional.

"Hai."

**You guys didn't think I'd forget Shino's birthday, did you? Naughty naughty.**


	2. Chapter 2

Shino, Hinata, and Kiba went to the Hokage's office quickly. Once assembled, they awaited instruction. Tsunade rearranged her papers, and Shizune stood by, holding Ton Ton. She addressed them when she was finished.

"As you know, just inside the border of out village lies a nature reserve. They are having a special event today, and a specimen from the Sand has been delivered here. It is imperative that it get there as soon as possible."

Tsunade's eyes locked with Hinata's for a moment before she revealed a parcel, setting it in front of her. What she said hadn't been a lie, but it had been spoken in a way to not arouse suspicion.

"Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba. Your mission in to deliver this package to the Reserve. The mission will not be considered a success of the object is damaged. Under no circumstances are you to open it."

"Hai, Lady Tsunade."

As they turned to leave, Tsunade stopped Shino.

"Shino, you will fund that your skills will be invaluable on this mission. You are the leader. Make sure nothing happens to your team or the package."

"Hai."

They stepped outside with the package, and got ready to leave.

-

_One month ago…_

"I know we're allies, Temari, but is this really necessary?" Kankouro whined.

Temari smirked. "I've been meaning to find a reason to go back to the Leaf. You remember the Aburame, don't you? Don't you want a friendly rematch?"

Kankouro _did _want a rematch, but he didn't wanna go to his birthday party.

"Gaara?"

"We should do it. It will also help establish relations with the Hidden Leaf Village. The shinobi of Fire Country are valuable allies, Kankouro."

Kankouro groaned again. "Fiiiine…You don't have to go all "Kazekage" on me. Geez… I'll do it."

Temari smiled. "Now, I know you still have a dead insect from that fight. Go get it."

Gaara looked aghast. "Do you EVER clean your room?!"

Kankouro glared, saying nothing as he left to dig up a dead kikaichu from the puppet area. Coming back with one fully intact one, he set it on the table. Temari smiled. Gaara picked up the insect with his sand, going outside, motioning for his brother and sister to follow.

Once outside, Gaara lifted the dead creature into the air in a tennis ball-sized sphere of sand. Controlling it carefully, he warped the sand.

"Sand Burial.." He whispered, contracting the sand around the insect to a high density, but actually not crushing the insect inside. He up-righted the bug, and formed the sand to create a perfect likeness of it, a three-inch diameter kikaichu beetle. Holding the sand-beetle away from himself and suspended in the air, he spoke to Kankouro.

"Now."

The puppet master scowled. Why did he have to have a fire affinity? He was perfectly fine with his puppet jutsus. He formed the complicated stream of handsigns.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

An inferno erupted from his mouth, engulfing the sculpture in flames. Gaara stepped back, getting out of the flames' path, but keeping the object suspended. Temari whipped out her fan, and fanned the flames hotter, the fiery beast engulfing the tiny mass. Kankouro held it out as long as he possibly could, until the flames wisped away. Gaara brought him arm down, along with the object.

Temari and Kankouro walked up to it on the ground, all three knowing better than to touch such a hot object. Temari's eyes glittered, it looked beautiful. Even Kankouro was slightly impressed; he hadn't expected it to work. Before them was a glass kikaichu, with the perfectly preserved insect in the belly of the glass creature. When it was cool enough to touch, Temari whisked away with it, using glass stain to color the eyes a brilliant turquoise like the dead insects have. Bringing it back out, she held it in her hand, and it caught the evening sun's rays, casting rainbows on the ground.

Gaara smirked. This ought to be good. Plus, it gives Kankouro a good reason to stop whining about how he lost to the bug-freak. Gaara himself wouldn't be able to attend, but the other two could. Silence for a day. He took the object, and arranged for a ninja to deliver it to the Leaf.


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata huffed, the terrain was rugged. She cradled the object tenderly; while it was not extremely breakable due to being made of unusual minerals, it would not do to scuff it. She had not personally seen it, but knew what it was. She herself had contacted the Sand after a mission had sent them near that area.

Kiba was no better off. The bugs were biting, and Akamaru was getting worn out. These woods were thin, but thickets littered the forest floor, brambles and thorns threatening them. They had to stay in the trees. And the trees didn't have many branches in this area. So, they had to jump off the sides of each tree without stopping. It was tedious. Akamaru was having difficulties accomplishing the task.

Shino himself brought up the rear, keeping an eye on his team. Akamaru was worrying him; although the dog was a nin-dog, he didn't possess the same kind of chakra control that humans did. Coupled with his huge bulk, the dog would have extreme difficulty should they have to stop. He kept his insects at bay, should somebody fall. They could fly out at quick speeds and capture the fallen ninja before they fall into the thorns below. Hopefully, they would get out of this area soon so they had solid footing.

Hinata was the first to break free of the trees…and right into a swamp. The only thing that kept her from becoming a drowned rat was her Byakugan, letting her know the water was there. She landed daintily, and called out to her teammates.

"Shino! Kiba! There's water here! No solid ground."

She was met with two different responses. She heard Shino's calm voice first.

"Got it."

Then, Kiba's distressed wail.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Akamaru couldn't walk on water. He had to be carried across. Hinata turned forward again, just to have a giant dragonfly miss her face by inches. The sudden "attack" caused her to flinch, but she didn't yelp. Kiba landed heavily, causing the water to ripple out. Akamaru dived for Kiba, and Kiba's jaw clenched, eyes screwed shut and arms out behind him, waiting for the 450-pound dog to impact him. Hinata jumped away and the impact caused Kiba to drop to his knees, making the water splash outward. Shino came out last, flipping in the air and landing lightly on his toes, rocking back to his heels. They all took a moment to catch their breath, Kiba distributing the massive weight on his back.

Bugs darted around everywhere. Shino gazed in wonder at the miniature fauna all around them. Glistening sapphire-colored dragonflies, water beetles, chirping crickets, and also the musical croaks of the frogs and toads in and around the water. They ran across the surface; crossing the muggy area quickly. Shino made a mental note to come back out to this area to study the insects here. Hinata smiled from ahead, she had deliberately taken them out to this swamp because she knew Shino had never been out here, and she had seen some unusual insect life.

After 250 or so yards, their feet hit dry land. Akamaru jumped down and Kiba flopped on the ground, already exhausted. Shino looked up at the sun. Judging by the position, it was only about ten in the morning.

"Alright team. We can rest here. Meet back in this spot in fifteen minutes. With that, he walked away, going to look at some of the interesting insects he had seen on the way through. Kiba laid in the grass with the dog, breathing heavily. Hinata took it upon herself to follow Shino.

Shino noticed her presence behind him. The aphid he had been looking at flew off.

"Hinata."

It wasn't a question, he was just acknowledging her presence.

"Oh.." She said, stepping out from behind a clump of cattails. A shiny dragonfly flitted by, catching both of their attentions.

"Beautiful creatures, dragonflies."

"Yes," she agreed.

Silence for a moment.

"You wanted something, correct?"

She almost hesitated, trying to hold back her enthusiasm. It worked. "I wanted to tell you… Happy birthday, Shino."

Shino tore his eyes away from the weird greenish-purple beetle. "Thank you, Hinata."

He smiled on the outside, and he tried to shove it off, but it did sadden him that only his father and Hinata had remembered his birthday. Not like he was going to celebrate it, anyway, but it's still nice to hear.

"W-we better get going."

"Yes."

After collecting Kiba, they were off again, running through a meadow of tall grass. After spending a good ten minutes in the tall grass, some fronds reaching over their heads, they broke through.

Shino stopped, but Kiba and Hinata pushed forward.

"Hold up."

They both stopped and looked at him. Shino started to walk towards Kiba.

"You guys should know…" he reached a hand up to Kiba's face, and Kiba's eyes widened. Hinata saw what he was doing, and let Kiba's misunderstanding cause him slight anguish.

"Dude, I don't swing th--"

Shino's hand touched Kiba's temple, and he cut Kiba off. Kiba felt a small pinch.

"…that there are many deer ticks in that particular area. They are known to carry lime disease." He pulled the tick off Kiba's head, and his insects destroyed it.

"Hold still for a moment, this will take a second." He let loose some insects, and they crawled all over the four of them, an extra amount to search through Akamaru's fur. Kiba's jaw dropped when he saw all the ticks that the kikaichu pulled off, from their hair, Akamaru's fur, and their clothes.

Shino recalled his insects. "We should take a different path back." _I see why the Hokage said my skills would be so useful on this mission._

Hinata wasn't even phased. So many years of working with the Aburame shook off any ill-feelings towards insects and other crawlies. They just didn't bother her. Her hand went to the package in her pocket. It was still there, still safe.

They finally reached the nature reserve. The three entered the building. A teenage boy came to meet them, not looking at all like he liked his job.

"You guys the team who has the package?"

Hinata protruded the object from her coat. He nodded.

"Right through that door. Hey Fluffy, with the glasses, hold up."

Shino scowled, stopping.

Kiba and Hinata quickly darted through the door. That guy would fill Shino in on some bogus story. Hinata had to stifle a giggle when he called Shino "Fluffy."

The rest of the ninja were in the room already. Kakashi was the last to arrive, coming in through a window. Naruto and Sakura got up, with equal expressions of horror on their faces as their sensei appeared, on time.

Kiba spoke up. "Alright, everyone. Get to your places. He'll be in here any minute now. Sukio can only invent so much without sounding totally fake."

Everyone except Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata hid. Hinata put the parcel over on the table which held the cake that Chouji had baked. The trio made their way to the middle of the room, crossing their arms. They stood back-to-back, and Akamaru sat in front of them. In all appearances, they looked like a couple Mafia members.

The door handle turned.


	4. Chapter 4

Shino was confused. That boy hadn't made any sense. Looking back, the boy waved him on cheerfully. He went inside.

The room was large, and there were many tables. It was brightly lit and decorated. Shino didn't know what kind of event they were having, but it seemed over-the-top to him. He settled his eyes on his teammates as the door clicked behind him.

As if rehearsed, the two spoke in unison, slightly startling the insect-user.

"Hey, Shino. There's something we wanna tell you."

He was unsure. "Yes?"

Suddenly, and entire mass of people jumped out at him from every nook and cranny in the room.

"SURPRISE!"

In seconds, he was flat against the wall, kunai draw, ready to protect himself against all the people that were yelling at him. His heart rate and breathing sped up from the shock. It took his mind a moment to register the faces of the ninja before him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHINO!!"

He blinked. A few people started to laugh. He flushed when he finally realized what was going on. It was a birthday party. He looked around at the faces of the smiling ninja. Team Ten…Team Seven…Team Gai…Temari and Kankouro? Anko!? Why the hell was Anko there? He didn't want to know. Even the senseis… He mentally scolded the Hokage. Should enemy ninja attack, most of the Shinobi were out of the village.

Then his mind _really_ clicked. They had thrown _him _a birthday party. Putting the kunai away, he walked out to meet him team. Kiba came up and slapped him on the back, nearly knocking his glasses off. Shino growled and swung back at him. Hinata stepped in-between them, grabbing both of their wrists.

"Boys. Knock it off."

They scowled at each other but turned back to all the people standing there.

"Is it time for cake yet?" Chouji asked.

Everyone laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

Shino sat at the middle table. He sipped his punch. Not being able to convince Lee otherwise, he fiddled with the piece of elastic under his chin, the only thing keeping the poor party hat on his head, almost lost amongst him mop of hair. It was like the tip of the iceberg, only an inch of the hat was visible.

Now, to deviate from the poor hat, let's get back to the party. Everybody had sung already, with Lee and Gai sobbing over Shino. Something about being "in the springtime of youth."

He was 18 already. It seemed like last week he was graduating from the academy. Taking another bite of the cake, which, he had to admit, was the best cake he had ever eaten, he stood up. Immediately, he was glomped from behind.

"Happy Birthday, Shino!"

Shino growled.

"Naruto, you have three seconds to let go."

No sooner had he said that were the arms removed. As Shikamaru would say, birthdays were troublesome events, although it was still nice to have a celebration. He then remembered the mission. He sought out either Hinata or Kiba. He spotted Kiba with Akamaru, over with Lee and Naruto. Making his way over to him, he tapped his shoulder. Kiba turned.

"Kiba, what happened with that package we were to deliver?"

Kiba's eyes looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he shouted above the crowd, setting Shino's teeth on edge.

"Present time!"

Shino was herded back towards the middle table. Sitting back down, he looked around at the circle of people around him. His teammates stepped up first. This was way more than he had expected. Hinata came up to him first, holding a small box, wrapped in violet paper with a lavender ribbon. It was cute, and it was definitely something to expect from Hinata. Shino took the box, pulling the ribbon. He noted the pink look in the Hyuuga's cheeks. Pulling the lid off, he folded back the tissue paper to reveal the treasure inside. Setting the box down, he grabbed the black cord and lifted the pendant out. It was a steel dragonfly, ornately designed with onyx eyes.

"Sorry it's not g-good. I saw it and it r-reminded me of you, so I bought it."

Shino pulled the rope around his neck and tied it. It was perfect.

"No, Hinata. I love it. Thank you."

She smiled and stepped back, letting Kiba and Akamaru go next. Kiba smirked as he put his on the table. It was oddly shaped, and it made a crackling sound when Shino picked it up. Opening, he found a large bag of gummy worms.

"Gee, thanks Kiba."

"No problem, buddy."

Akamaru stepped up next, dropping a large bone at Shino's feet. Shino had absolutely no idea what he was going to do with a bone, but he'd dispose of it when he returned hime. He patted the dog's massive head.

"Thanks, boy."

"Arf!"

Naruto came bounding up next, hopping from foot to foot with an envelope. Frustrated, Shino stood and snatched it from his hands. He opened it to find a ticket for free ramen.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"Happy birthday, Shino!"

Setting the gift aside, he waited for the next one, wondering when this would all be over. Sakura came up next, and held out a gift bag with a butterfly on it. She noticed his look.

"It was either that or a ladybug."

He nodded, taking the bag. Reaching inside, he pulled out a long knitted scarf. It was white, and very soft. Very practical when the weather gets cold.

"Thank you, Sakura."

Sai was next in line. He pulled a bright orange book out of his weapons pouch. Most people instantly recognized it, and snickering could be heard around the room. Shino took the book and looked at the cover. Icha Icha Paradise. His cheeks pinked. He looked back at Sai.

"What…?"

Sai gave that little irritating smile. "I've read that men enjoy looking at porn. And you can tell when a man needs sex when he's anti-social and grumpy. I thought maybe this book could help you--"

Sai was cut off by Naruto and Sakura's fists, knocking him to the floor. Shino himself was close to attacking for the sheer embarrassment. Hinata was hiding her face in Kiba's jacket, and the rest of the room had cracked up laughing. Setting the book aside, Shino cleared his throat.

"Will that be all then?"

"Nope!" Ino said cheerfully, bounding forward with a pot. Whatever had been planted in it had just sprouted. "It's a Achillea filipendulina, or fern-leaf yarrow. It attracts many beneficial insects."

Shino was genuinely surprised at this one. It would be useful in the garden. He set it on the table.

"Thank you, Ino."

Shikamaru was next. Boredly, he put a square, plainly-wrapped box on the table. Shino opened it and found a Shougi board.

"If you ever wanna play, just let me know."

"I'll do that. Thank you, Shikamaru."

Chouji was next.

"I baked the birthday cake."

Shino blinked. He hadn't realized Chouji was such an excellent baker.

"Thank you. The cake was excellent. My compliments to the chef."

Chouji smiled and backed away, letting Gai's team move forward. Ten-Ten was first. She set a heavy-looking box on the table, and it clanged when it was placed. Everyone exchanged glances. Opening it, Shino found an array of specialized kunai, and an assortment of other weapons.

"Thanks, Ten-Ten."

She smiled and backed away, letting Neji step forward. Neji and Shino stared each other down for a minute before Neji thrust a book at him. Reading the cover, Shino found that it was a book on hair-care.

"…"

He set the book aside. There were a few snickers. Lee bounded up next. Shino flinched. Lee set an elaborately wrapped gift on the table, overflowing with ribbons and colors. Gingerly, Shino opened it. His jaw dropped when he saw the contents. Was Lee really serious?! He pulled out a green jumpsuit, and a pair of orange legwarmers fell out. Another round of laughter, and encouraging shouts from the two green beasts. He quickly repackaged the gift. No way in **hell** he would ever wear that, not even as a Halloween costume.

"Err….Thanks Lee…"

Lee beamed and stepped back. Unbeknownst to Shino, that was not all. The rest of them all had gifts. He went to stand up, but a large hand came down on his shoulder, halting his movement.

"Hold it, we're not done."

Shino grimaced when he heard Gai's voice behind him.

"Since it is your eighteenth birthday, I figured it is time for you to embrace your youth. You know, Shino, your inner lotus doesn't seem to have bloomed. You must open up, and blossom. Only then will you be in your springtime of youth. After all, you--"

"Gai, that's enough. You're scaring the poor boy." Kurenai interjected.

Gai looked down at Shino's face, which had an aggravated expression, similar to Neji's when Gai started one of his rants. He dejectedly walked away.

"My turn. Shino, you may enjoy this."

That piqued his curiosity. He watched his former sensei pull a scroll out from behind her back. Most of the jounin's eyes widened, recognizing it for what it was. Shino, however, did not.

"What is it?"

Kurenai smiled. "I've searched a long time for this. It was not easy to get, but I believe you are worthy enough for it. But," she laid the scroll on the table, which rolled open, "that is for the Mantises to decide, not me."

Shino's eyes widened behind the dark lenses. It was a summoning contract for the Mantis. He was speechless.

"Happy birthday."

"Th-thanks."

Kurenai ruffled his bushy hair once, then stepped back. Kakashi was next.

"Well?" everyone said to him.

"I'm giving a damn. That's my gift."

Collective sweat drops fell around the room.

"Alright then…" Someone said from the back of the room.

Suddenly, a kunai whizzed past Shino's face, slicing his cheek only enough to make it bleed. He started, he hadn't even seen it. He looked around. Who was missing? He didn't have time to figure it out, though, because he felt something crawling up his pant leg, inside his pants. It was cold and scaly. He immediately stood up, trying to shake it out before it went too high. The tail end of a snake could be seen out the bottom of his pants. The blood from the cut started to drip. A few snickers were heard, as Shino was hopping around on one leg. But, the cold reptile was in a place it shouldn't be. Another kunai came at him, slicing through his hair. The measly elastic around his neck snapped, and the hat was pinned to the wall.

He startled again. What the hell?! Suddenly there was a presence behind him. A hand came up and touched his cheek. He turned his head slightly and saw Anko's smiling face out of the corner of his eye. She licked the blood from his cheek. Her lips moved to his ear.

"Happy birthday, punk."

And then, like a flash, she was back on the other side of the room, talking with Kakashi. Shino backed against the wall with a hand to his chest, heart pounding. That had all happened in about three seconds.

"What. The. HELL!?"

He slid down the wall, cheek still bleeding slightly. Hinata ran over to him.

"Shino! Are you o-okay?"

He nodded, letting her help him of. He waved his hand at her. His cheek was no big deal, he didn't need her fussing. There was a movement in his pants.

"SHIT! ANKO!"

The snake was still there. The adrenaline rush had led him to forget about it. When it wasn't removed, his insects took the liberty of attempting to eat it. Heart still racing, he sat back down.

"Anything else before I die?"

A chuckling could be heard. A mysterious, and admittedly creepy, rattling could be heard. A spider dropped from the ceiling over Shino. Not just any spider, but a three-foot-diameter wooden puppet spider, suspended by chakra strings. When he saw everyone looking up with horrified looks on their faces, as well as a scream from Ino, he himself looked up. The giant spider loomed a few feet from his head.

"What the hell is it with people and attacking me!?" he yelled, getting out of the path of any trajectory the puppet may be able to achieve.

"Relax, Bug-boy. It's a gift."

Shino looked over to see Kankouro, hands out, controlling the spider. It landed, and its eight legs moved in jerky movements. Its fangs were steel, weapons. A poison was concealed inside. Shino examined it as it crawled toward him. Very interesting.

"I daresay, Doll-boy, I won't have much use for it. But, I do appreciate it. The craftsmanship of the arachnid is excellent."

However bluntly stated, it was true. Shino wasn't a puppet-user. He wouldn't be able to use it again. But it may come in handy at a future date if, for whatever reason, he and Kankouro should have to work together. The abdomen seemed to be hollow; an excellent place to store items or his kikai for a surprise attack. He picked the advancing spider off the floor, and Kankouro cut the strings.

"Who you calling Doll-boy!? THEY'RE NOT DOLLS!! How's about a friendly spar? A re-match of sorts."

Shino smiled, accepting the challenge. "Anytime, anywhere."

"After the party, outside."

"Deal."

Temari stepped up.

"Boys, aren't you a little old for this?"

Shino just looked at her, and Kankouro glared. He also muttered something about her not being his mother.

"And aren't you forgetting something?"

Both boys blinked at her, and there were a few confused sounds from the spectators. Temari reached into her cloak, and pulled out the package that had been Team 8's mission to deliver. Shino stared.

"That's…"

"A gift from the sand. The Kazekage thought it would be nice to strengthen our relations with Konoha. Gaara, Kankouro, and I all put our efforts into it. You may be pleased."

She took Shino's hand and placed the parcel into it before stepping back. Hinata and Kiba swarmed him, curiosity overwhelming. They had both known that it was a gift for Shino, but they didn't exactly know what it was. Shino ripped the brown paper off the top, then opened the box. He took out a wad of paper, and unwrapped the object inside. The moment the light hit it, a show of tiny rainbows darted about. Hinata's eyes widened.

"Kami…it's beautiful." She whispered.

"Wow…" Was all Kiba could say.

The crowd was becoming restless. They wanted to know what it was, dammit!

"What is it!?" Naruto shouted.

Shino held the object in his hand and lifted it up to examine it. It was flawless.

"Amazing…"

It was a glass kikaichu. It was perfectly made, no seams, no bubbles, no flaws. The eyes were a bright turquoise; stained. And inside, inside the belly of the three-inch figurine was a kikaichu beetle. Long dead, it hadn't been hurt to make this feat possible. But how had it been placed inside the glass?

"How…?" he started, not exactly sure where to begin.

Temari stepped up.

"It was all three of us. Kankouro still had some insects lying around from cleaning his puppet out, and Gaara used his sand to form around it. Kankouro used a fire jutsu to heat it, and I used my fan to feed the fire."

Shino didn't know what to say.

"Thank you." He then turned to Kankouro. "I didn't know you had an affinity for fire."

Kankouro shrugged. "I prefer to use my puppet jutsus over elemental ones."

Shino pocketed the treasure. His dad would be interested in this. He went back to Kiba and Hinata, and got a new glass of punch.

The party continues on, excitement from the gifts wearing out. The three made their way back to the table where Shino's presents were, and examined them. Hinata found herself engrossed in the hair-care book. She hadn't known Neji had this, or she would have snatched it ages ago. Kiba picked up the Icha Icha book, and immediately put it back down, two rosy circles on his cheeks. But they were almost hidden by the red fangs, so it was okay.

Shino examined the puppet carefully. As it turned out, it was completely hollow, save for the head, which held hypodermic needle-like fangs filled with poison. Kankouro walked up behind him.

"I don't know what you can do with those bugs of yours, but this thing is made especially for your use."

He picked it up, turning it around. Where the spinnerets of the real spider would be, there were two holes.

"Your kikaichu can enter here, and fill it up. The legs are loosely jointed, hollow so they can be filled." He flipped it over, causing the legs to slay open wide. There was a kanji carved into the bottom. "This is a seal that allows this thing to withhold chakra. That was the hardest part. I know your insects eat chakra, so they wouldn't be able to be outside the body for a long enough time to effectively use this puppet. By putting your hand over the seal, like this," He demonstrated for Shino, making a one-handed monkey sign, "You can push chakra into it. It can hold chakra for an indefinite amount of time. I'm not saying forever, I'm just saying I haven't checked. You can tell me how it works."

Shino was suddenly extremely impressed. He didn't think Kankouro would go through the trouble to make him something like that. He'll have fun playing with the new toy. He clapped Kankouro on the back.

"Thanks. I'll have to try it out."

Kankouro just smiled and walked away to find Temari, who happened to be hanging on Shikamaru. The rest of the party went smoothly.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally, it was time for the party to draw to a close. As people were cleaning the party favors up and Shino was starting to seal his gifts into a scroll so he could carry them home, a popping sound could be heard. Seventeen ninja drew their kunai and turned towards the noise. In the back of the room, there was a boy who was not there before. He was wearing black robes, and was holding an 11-inch long stick. He had jet black hair and emerald green eyes. When he turned around, the closest ninja noted the lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. The boy blinked behind his thick glasses.

"Bloody hell…This isn't Diagon Alley…"

He then noticed all the people staring at him with weapons draw. He immediately put his stick up and some sparks shot out the end. Naruto broke free of the ranks, poking the stick.,

"What is this thing?"

The boy looked at him. _Muggles have seen me…shit…_

"It's called a wand."

Naruto burst out laughing.

"Like fairy princesses!?"

Sakura came up and bashed him on the head.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Potter. Harry Potter."

He hoped there would be some reaction. Nothing. He heard a cricket.

"Dammit Shino…" said Kiba.

"Sorry…"

Harry looked around the room. Apparently, by the banner, it was this Shino person's birthday. And if he were to go by that little interaction, the buy who was dressed funny with the dark glasses must be him. He pointed his wand at him.

"Oi, Fuzzy. It's your Birthday?"

Shino growled. What was it and being called Fluffy and Fuzzy?!

"Hai."

Harry blinked.

"Hai? It was a yes or no question."

"Hai means yes in Japanese."

Harry blinked. Then slapped his forehead.

"Bloody hell…. That git told me this was a shop in Diagon Alley. Dammit Fred!"

The ninja stared at him. For the hell of it, Anko threw a kunai at him. Harry saw it out of the corner of his eye. He put his wand up.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

A jet of red light shot out of the wand, hitting the kunai and immediately shooting it back to where it came from. Anko's eyes widened and she ducked, a shocked expression on her face.

"What the hell was that for!?" Harry demanded.

Naruto came back, rubbing his head.

"Don't worry about that lady. She's crazy."

"Hey!"

Naruto just smiled. Harry looked at the people, taking in their appearance. They all looked very strange. Some had strange eyes, others had strangely colored hair, and some had strange markings on their faces. Most were dressed strangely, and there was one boy who had painted himself all white, with a creepy smile on his face. He decided he should leave. But, kind hearted person that he was, he decided to give the birthday boy a gift.

"Here's a present for you…Shino was it? _Accio Chocolate Frog!_"

Shino blinked. "Chocolate…frog?"

Suddenly, a small package came zooming in through the window behind them. Lee noticed first.

"FLASH!"

Everyone ducked and covered under the tables. Harry's hand extended and caught the object.

"Guys? It's okay. I just summoned a gift."

Ten-Ten looked amazed, and slightly infatuated. Neji grumbled.

"Our summonings look different."

Harry cocked his head at her. _Okay…maybe they're not Muggles…but what kind of wizard has never seen a wand?_

"Show me."

Ten-Ten happily came up. Harry's eyes widened and his jaw dropped when she bit her thumb hard enough to make it bleed. That _had_ to hurt. He looked confused when she did the handsigns, and was about to say something when she slammed her hand on the floor. There was a puff of smoke which revealed a manifest of different pointy objects. She picked up a flail, which is similar to a ball-and-chain but with much longer spikes.

"See?" She closed her eyes and cocked her head to the side with a smile.

Harry backed up against the wall. These people frightened him.

"_Accio Firebolt!"_

A broomstick came zooming in the window.

"I'll see you guys later. I have to get back to Hogwarts in London."

He jumped on the broomstick and zoomed out the window. A couple kunais were heard clattering against the floor.

Neji stepped forth.

"Who agrees we should all forget that ever happened?"

Sixteen hands raised. Neji bent down and picked up the package, handing it to Shino. Shino looked at it.

"A chocolate frog?"'

Kiba sniffed it.

"It smells like chocolate."

Shino opened it, but dropped it immediately when the frog jumped out, ribbited, and started to jump away. Akamaru pounced on it, ate it, and promptly threw up. Yup, it was definitely chocolate. Shino clutched his chest. That has scared him slightly. Chocolate does not MOVE! Kiba ran to Akamaru. Chocolate was poisonous to dogs. Hinata picked up the card that had fallen out, and tapped Shino's shoulder, handing it to him. He took it and looked at it.

"Who the hell is Albus Dumbledore?"


End file.
